Rob Rang· Sep 13, 2026
Rang ranks the four headline prospects from the Texas-Ohio State game in the order he'd draft them (Jeremiah Smith, Arch Manning, Cam Coleman, Julian Sayin) and assigns each a draft grade: Smith and Manning as top-5 picks, Coleman top 10, and Sayin a third-rounder.
“He's the top NFL prospect in the country and one of the highest graded prospects I've evaluated in nearly 30 years as a professional scout.”
published in writing · Fox Sports · read the original →
5 checkable claims — 4 mock draft picks and 1 top player list — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
1 of 5 have settled so far, averaging 0 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Their call against what happened
overall pickTheir call against what actually happened.
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Who this take is about
5 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
- Mock Draft PicksJeremiah SmithSep 13, 2026
Jeremiah Smith to be picked “Top-5 selection” (picks 1–5)
“NFL Draft Grade: Top-5 selection ... Smith was the top player on the field Saturday night and the best overall prospect in the 2026 draft”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 50How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Jeremiah Smith
- season:
- 2026
- zero at:
- undrafted
- outcome:
- went undrafted in 2026; has not appeared on an NFL roster
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- undrafted
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 0
- predicted pick:
- Top-5 selection (picks 1–5)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
- Top Player ListsSep 13, 2026
“These four prospects are ranked in the order in which I would currently select them if I were building an NFL roster.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksArch ManningSep 13, 2026
Arch Manning to be picked “Top-5 selection” (picks 1–5)
“That is why Manning is a first-round lock. ... NFL Draft Grade: Top-5 selection”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksCam ColemanSep 13, 2026
Cam Coleman to be picked “Top 10” (picks 1–10)
“NFL Player Comparison: A.J. Green NFL Draft Grade: Top 10”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Mock Draft PicksJulian SayinSep 13, 2026
Julian Sayin to be picked “Third Round” (picks 65–96)
“NFL Comparison: Kirk Cousins NFL Draft Grade: Third Round”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Rob BushkaMock Draft Picks · Jeremiah SmithMiss · 0Buschka predicted Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith could be the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft, that Ty Simpson will sit as a clipboard-holding backup, that the receiver the Rams passed on (Lemon) will break out with a huge target share once AJ Brown is moved to New England, and he called Sean McVay the best coach in the NFL.
- Daniel WadeMock Draft Picks · Jeremiah SmithMiss · 0In a trade-back mock draft, Wade has the Chargers deal pick 22 to Miami and select edge rusher Cassius Howell at 30, guard Keelan Rutledge at 55, cornerback Malik Muhammad at 86, wide receiver Brennan Thompson at 87, linebacker Keyshawn Elliott at 123, and offensive tackle Travis Burke at 151.
- Chris BrockmanMock Draft Picks · Arch ManningMiss · 0Brockman predicted the NFC South order as Falcons first, Buccaneers second, Panthers third, Saints last, with both Atlanta and Tampa making the playoffs; he also expects the Saints to end up with the No. 1 overall pick and select Arch Manning.
- Jason McIntyreMock Draft Picks · Arch ManningMiss · 0Filling in as host, McIntyre ranked the eight remaining divisional-round quarterbacks from 8 to 1, with Josh Allen first and Bo Nix last. He also said Matthew Stafford will probably win MVP, called the Rams his Super Bowl pick, said Fernando Mendoza is a slam-dunk No. 1 pick, thinks Arch Manning goes No. 1 next year, and called Kansas's Peterson a top-five pick.
- Brady QuinnMock Draft Picks · Arch ManningMiss · 0Quinn assessed the preseason AP poll, saying Texas at No. 1 is appropriate, that Penn State should actually be No. 1 and is positioned to reach the championship game and win it all, that Ohio State/Clemson/Georgia are ranked about right, and that Arizona State and Illinois are overrated. He also predicted Arch Manning would be the first overall pick if he comes out, and later said Drew Allar would be the top pick if he has the year Quinn expects.
- Kyle CrabbsMock Draft Picks · Arch ManningMiss · 0In a way-too-early 2026 NFL mock draft, Crabbs projects all 32 first-round picks, starting with LaNorris Sellers to the Browns at No. 1 and Drew Allar to the Saints at No. 2.
More mock draft picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Gregg RosenthalMock Draft Picks · Brandon DoughtyMiss · 3Rosenthal gave first reactions to Vegas win totals: overs on the Steelers, Broncos, Vikings, Buccaneers, 49ers and Cardinals, unders on the Falcons and Commanders, plus he expects Shedeur Sanders to start about 10-11 games and thinks the Cowboys' 9.5 is beatable.
- Peter BukowskiMock Draft Picks · Gennings DunkerHit · 100Bukowski breaks down Iowa offensive lineman Jennings Dunker as a Packers fit and puts a late second-/early third-round grade on him, noting that range overlaps where Green Bay picks.
- David HarrisonMock Draft Picks · Eli HeidenreichHit · 100Harrison delivers his only first-round mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft, projecting all 32 first-round picks (including several trades) plus the rest of Washington's projected class, while noting it is an exercise in what could happen rather than a firm forecast.
- Brian PeacockMock Draft Picks · Bud ClarkHit · 96In his final 2026 mock draft for the 49ers, Peacock projects San Francisco taking WR Kevin Concepcion (KC) at pick 27, then after trading out of round two, edge rusher Kieron Crawford and safety Bud Clark in round three, OL Trey Zune and RB Jonah Coleman in round four, CB Charles Demings in round five and guard Caden Barnett in round six. He also thinks Omar Cooper comes off the board before Concepcion.
- David HarrisonMock Draft Picks · Riley NowakowskiMiss · 13In his final mock draft Monday, Harrison has the Commanders trading back twice and selecting eight players: safety Dylan Thieneman at 16, WR Denzel Boston at 33, RB Mike Washington Jr. at 83, C Jagger Burton at 132, CB Julian Neal at 147, QB Cade Klubnik at 187, DB Lorenzo Styles Jr. at 209 and TE Riley Nowakowski in the seventh round.
- Damian ParsonMock Draft Picks · Zachariah BranchHit · 100Locked On's draft analyst laid out where several prospects should land in the upcoming draft: Zachariah Branch as a Day 2/third-round target for the Chargers, Penn State's top offensive lineman gone well before pick 22 (ideally 14 to Baltimore), Akeem Mesador and Malachi Lawrence as first-round edge rushers, Derrick Moore as a Day 2 edge, and Texas's left tackle as a top-10 pick next year.